Two devastated New Jersey mothers were forced to confront the teenager accused of deliberately mowing down their daughters as he appeared stone-faced in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to their murders.
Vincent Battiloro, 18, was brought into a Union County courtroom in handcuffs as the grieving families of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17, watched the man accused of killing their daughters face justice for the first time in person.
The mothers wore shirts bearing photographs of their daughters and the words 'Justice for Bella and Maria.' They sobbed as they stared at Battiloro.
The emotional confrontation came more than a year after the two best friends were killed while riding an electric bicycle together through the affluent New Jersey town of Cranford.
Prosecutors allege Battiloro deliberately accelerated his Jeep Compass to 70mph in a 25mph residential zone before plowing into the girls on September 29, 2025.
The accused killer, whose father is a retired police officer, appeared impassive throughout the brief hearing in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Dressed in a khaki prison jumpsuit, gray T-shirt and slippers, Battiloro stood with his hands cuffed in front of him as his attorney, Rubin Sinnis, entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
He faces two counts of first-degree murder and could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.
Vincent Battiloro, 18, sits stone-faced in court beside his attorney as he pleads not guilty to murdering New Jersey teens Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas
The grieving mothers of Maria and Isabella sit in court wearing shirts printed with their daughters’ faces as they confront the teen accused of killing them
Maria Niotis, 17, was one of the victims killed in the crash. She was a high school student and aspired to graduate and start her cosmetology career
Isabella Salas, 17, was also killed in the crash. She was remembered as having the 'voice of an angel,' according to her obituary
Outside court, the girls' heartbroken mothers struggled to contain their emotions as they vowed to continue fighting for justice.
'We will fight like hell until they get the justice they deserve,' Isabella's mother, Maria Salas, said through tears.
For Maria Niotis' mother, Foula, the pain of losing her daughter has only intensified.
'It's harder and harder every day,' she said. 'I just wish I could bring her back. But I know I can't.
'So I have to get justice for her and Bella. It's the only way, because I believe that's when their souls will rest as well.'
The anguish came as Battiloro's legal team revealed plans to pursue an insanity or diminished-capacity defense in the double-murder case.
Prosecutors made it clear that no plea agreement was being offered.
Outside court, family members spoke through tears as they vowed to keep fighting for justice for the two 17-year-old girls killed in the hit-and-run
Relatives, supporters and lawyers gathered by the courthouse steps after the hearing to demand answers and press for justice for Bella and Maria
Battiloro appears in court flanked by his legal team during his first in-person appearance since being charged as an adult in the double-murder case
The case stems from the horrifying deaths of the two Cranford High School seniors, who were struck while riding along Burnside Avenue.
According to investigators, Battiloro had parked near one of the girls' homes before spotting the teenagers traveling in the opposite direction.
He allegedly made a U-turn and accelerated toward them, striking their e-bike at tremendous speed.
Officers subsequently discovered his Jeep abandoned nearby with extensive damage to its front end and the girls' bicycle lodged in the vehicle.
Battiloro allegedly fled on foot before claiming to investigators that an armed, masked carjacker had stolen his vehicle.
But prosecutors say footage from the Jeep's own dashboard camera contradicted that account and showed Battiloro behind the wheel.
The victims' relatives have also alleged that Battiloro had spent months stalking and harassing Maria Niotis before the killings.
According to prosecutors, the teenager had been reported to police and suspended from school over his alleged behavior toward Maria.
Her family maintains that earlier warnings about his conduct were not adequately addressed.
Battiloro is led into the courtroom in handcuffs as the families of the dead girls look on at the proceedings from the gallery
The accused teen stands beside his attorneys and officers in court during the hearing over the deaths of the two best friends
One of the devastated mothers breaks down outside court after coming face to face with the man accused of killing her daughte
The suspect's own parents had contacted police four times in the weeks before the deaths, including over allegations that he had sprayed his father with mace and stolen his vehicle.
Now the victims' families are demanding answers about whether Battiloro's connections to law enforcement influenced how authorities handled him.
His father, Jeffrey Battiloro, is a retired Chatham Borough police officer, while his uncle is a police chief in nearby Westfield.
Family attorney Brent Bramnick has questioned why Battiloro was allegedly detained after the crash but released into his father's custody without immediately facing charges.
'Show us what happened that night, when allegedly, the defendant's father came to the scene, and he was let go,' Bramnick demanded outside court.
The families are also furious that they have not obtained police body-camera footage from the initial investigation.
'Right now, we don't have anybody's cams, and it's a year later. That's concerning,' Bramnick said.
'Where are the body cams? Why are we not looking at them? The public has a right to know what happened before this incident. What led up to this?'
The girls were riding on an e-bike when the crash occurred. Isabella Salas is pictured, left, while Maria Niotis is seen, right
Both families have called on New Jersey's attorney general to investigate police interactions with Battiloro and his relatives and make the findings public.
'Maria and Isabella should be alive today,' the families said in a joint statement.
'These families, and every parent in this community, deserve to know how this unspeakable catastrophe was allowed to happen.'
Battiloro was initially charged as a juvenile before a judge ruled in June that he would face prosecution as an adult.
His next court appearance is scheduled for December 14.
A GoFundMe was created to help both grieving families.
